Friday June 22, Mountain Shadow,
4-Person ScrambleWinners: Brain Wilkinson, Stan Dismuke, Gareth Gill & Kenneth
Andersen Net 54.22nd David Thomas, Stuart Thompson, Bill Hewitt & Mod Chauraska Net
54.33rd Tony Oakes, Nora Haugjordet, Vincent Smythe & David Arrowsmith
Net 56.1 c/b4th Frank Kelly, Carl Lovatt, Ray Underwood & Tony Kitchen Net 56.1Long Drive: Paul Smith, Peter Davies, Pierre Bietry, Barry Rothberg,
PloyNear Pin #5: Paul Smith, Dale Murphy, Micheal Todd White, Henk De
Bock, PloyNear Pin #8: Clive Robinson, Roy Thornton, Ebrahim, Brian Ferringo,
Nora HaugjordetNear Pin #15: Dave Stockman, Frank Kelly, Ian Covill, Alan Evans,
Tewin LamthongNear Pin #17: Vincent Smythe, Frank Kelly, Bill Johnson, Norman Best
Its always a good social occasion when you play a scramble, the tension is
not quite as intense as a singles tournament and this proved to be the case
at Mountain Shadow for the Pattaya Sports Club 69th Members Tournament.
With a start time of 10:30am it allowed the organizers an extra half hour in
bed and due to the format, even a chance to have some breakfast before the
competitors arrived. Well that’s partly correct but two competitors did in
fact beat the organizers by a mere 30 seconds, thinking that the game
started at 9:00am. Where do people read this information? It said 10:30am on
all the flyers!!! And the start sheet!!! And the Web Page of PSC!!!
Anyway that aside the day went very well and the course was in magnificent
condition and very tidy.
The greens on the day were quick, undulating and about 11 on the stimp
meter. With the constant threat of trees catching a wayward shot you had to
be wary when taking your shots. On the Par 3’s the pin positions were
testing and a couple shots under hit found the ever-present water hazard.
The weather was humid and quite warm but the threat of the thunder did not
actually produce any rain until very late in the day, and I think I am right
in saying only one team finished the 18th in the rain.
Looking at the start sheet there were many teams who on paper could have
done well, but tales of woe were soon to be the order of the day as the
scores came into Tim on the desk.
For the first time ever I think the scores were recorded in quick time and
we actually waited for the last team to have a shower before the
presentation.
Nigel our MC introduced the Chairman Tony Oakes and the presentation got
under way. The Chairman thanked all his team who had helped on the day and
also Mountain Shadow’s management on providing an excellent course and
professional staff who were very efficient and professional. Nigel then took
over again and the prizes and lucky draw took place.Ed’s Note: Unfortunately the photo of this month’s winners didn’t
turn out clear enough to publish, therefore apologies to those concerned.

Mountain bikers ready for the off at Koh Larn

Vimolrat Singnikorn
July 7 is the date for Koh Larn Mountain Bike 2007, with riders lining up at
Saeme Beach and competing for the Crown Prince’s Cup.
The Thai Cycling Association, which is under the sponsorship of His Majesty
the King, met with Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Rermkitkarn at Pattaya City Hall on
June 19 to finalize the arrangements.
The event will form the third leg of the Thailand Cycling Championships, the
first two legs having already been held in Lampang and Ratchaburi.
The Koh Larn races will be divided into two categories: downhill and
cross-country. The downhill race will cover a distance of 1.2 km and will be
divided into six groups, namely boys under 14 years of age, women’s elite,
boys under 18 years of age, men’s elite, hardtel men’s, and men over 30
years of age.
The cross-country section will also be divided into several categories.
Cross-country touring A will see boys and girls under 18 years of age, men
and women’s elite, and men over 30 years of age. Cross-country touring B
will be for boys and girls under 15 years of age, boys and girls under 18
years of age, men and women’s elite, men over 30 years of age, men in the
40-49 years of age group, men over 50 years of age and women over 30 years
of age. Cross-country touring C is for boys and girls under 12 years of age.
On the day before the event, at 8:00 a.m. on July 6, the Thai Cycling
Association will organize the Cycling for Health event. The purpose of this
is to encourage local youngsters and people to exercise with bicycles. All
participants will receive a T-shirt, a souvenir coin, and a certificate.
This race is divided into two categories; the oldest bicycles, and
best-decorated bikes.
This race will start from Pattaya City Hall and go along Pattaya Beach Road
to the Pattaya Klang crossroads, turning onto Third Road, and arriving back
at Pattaya City Hall.
The fourth and fifth rounds of the Thailand Cycling Championships meanwhile,
will be staged later in the year in Nakhon Ratchasima and Ubon Ratchathani.

Testing times at Plutaluang

PSC golf from the PJ Pool Bar

David GardnerTuesday, June 19, Greenwood, Stableford1st Colin Cronin (15) 37pts
2nd Bob Pearce (11) 36pts
3rd Yves Philibert (23) 35pts c/b
4th Ian Campbell (28) 35ptsNear Pins: Jeff Wylie, Barry Quirk, John Heffernan, Dennis JaycockLong Putt: John Heffernan
It was a hot and humid day at Greenwood. Unusually, there was not the
unconditional praise of the course we are accustomed to hear. It was
centered mainly on the greens, which had been hollow cored and sanded and
made putting unpredictable. The rest of the course was its usual fine self
however. Hopefully the greens will have recovered for our visit next month.
In spite of the greens, both leading players managed par or better. Colin
Cronin took top spot with 37 points off 15 handicap. One shot back in second
was Bob Pearce maintaining a consistent run of form that has yielded a
first, second and third in the last three weeks.
Yves Philibert and Ian Campbell tied for third place on 35 points. After
much deliberation on the count back procedure where a course has three
nines, Yves was placed third place with a better score on the ‘C’ back nine.
Thursday June 21, Plutaluang N&W, Stableford1st Neil Duncan (15) 35pts
2nd Keith Hodges (24) 34pts
3rd Ray Allison (11) 33pts
4th Terry Morris (14) 32ptsNear Pins: Bob Pearce, Roger Yabsley, Roy Pimblett, Neil DuncanLong Putt: Ray Allison
South and East was closed for maintenance so North and West was the exam
paper and what a test it proved to be. The white tees were well back, often
on the front of the blues - an extra ten yards on the Lighthouse hole third
makes a big difference!
Thunderstorms the night before had softened the fairways, thickened the
rough and slowed the greens. It was a very long 6,700 yards, and some
fairways were out of range for even reasonably long hitters.
Considering the conditions, scores were good with the top four players
returning 32 points or better. First place went to Neil Duncan with 35
points. Keith Hodges, who started badly with only two points on the first
three holes, managed to steady himself and recover to an excellent 34 points
to take second. Ray Allison, recently given his first handicap of eleven,
justified the handicap allocation coming in with a steady score of 33 points
in third place.
Plutaluang is not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’ but we are always well received
here. Both courses are certainly a challenge and prices both in the
clubhouse and on the course are very reasonable. It will remain on our
Thursday schedule for the foreseeable future, but we will be playing it on
alternate Thursdays from next month.

Russian crowned
King of Draughts

A Russian player won 25,000 baht after triumphing in the Draughts Thailand
Open championships in Pattaya.

World
Champion Alexej Tsjizjow at the Draughts Thailand Open 2007.

The contest was held from March 8-17 at the Jomtien Garden Resort. A
post-match press conference was held recently at Tulip House on June 8.
Pattaya hosted the event for the third time. Sponsors included Eric Van
Dusseldorp and Mathieu Corporaal, owners of Tulip House, the Camel Bar, and
Deano’s Wine Bar and Bistro. The sponsors hope to promote the game of
draughts in the area and also help the tourism industry at the same time.
There were 24 draughts players from around the world who competed, including
Russian world champion Alecej Tsjizjow.
Slawa Sjtsjocholjew, the first runner from last year’s Draughts Thailand
Open came back to play again this year. The veteran was World Champion in
1960 and 1964.
The competition was split into three groups: A, B and C. The champion of the
top seeds in Group A was Alexej Tsjizjow, with 14 scores, while first
runner-up was Slawa Sjtsjocholjew and Cock Van Wojk came second runner-up.
The top three received prize money of 25,000, 12,500 and 5,000 baht
respectively.
The Group B champ meanwhile was Marco Van Bronswijk and group C’s winner was
Mr. Leo Peters.

Mike Mall footsal series
kicks off on June 30

Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Mike Shopping Mall is organizing its 7th footsal contest, a series that will
be held over the period June 30 to July 28 on the fifth floor of the mall.
Deputy district chief for Banglamung Chaowalit Saeng-Uthai and chief
executive of Mike Shopping Mall Surat Maekawarakul made a combined
announcement on June 16.
The series will be divided into four categories, namely youngsters, hotel
employees, shopping center employees, and the public.
The youth category is for youngsters aged nine, 12 and 14 years. For the
nine years of age category the winning prize is 5,000 baht along with a
trophy, and 8,000 baht along with a trophy for the 12 and 14 years of age
categories. The winning prize for the hotel employees, shopping center
employees and public categories is 12,000 baht along with a trophy.
The Thai national footsal team, who were the Asian champions of 2006, will
take part on the opening day, June 30, and will also teach footsal tactics
to the youngsters.

Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Suan Kulab School from Nontaburi won the Pattaya Beach Volleyball
Competition in the women’s 18-years category on June 17 at Jomtien
Beach.
Ratchanee Saelee and Ploenchit Kleepchampee, two young lady volleyball
players from Suan Kulab defeated Saraburi Wittayakom School Team A 2:1
in the women’s final after coming back from a set down. Saraburi
Wittayakom took the first set with a score of 21:18, but Suan Kulab
responded by leveling the match with a 23:21 score in the second set and
then taking the decider 15:8.

Suan
Kulab School battle it out with Saraburi Wittayakom in the ladies final.
The winners received a 5,000 baht award along with a trophy for their
efforts whilst the runners up took 3,000 baht.
In the third and fourth place playoff game, Pakkred Municipality
triumphed over Saraburi Wittayakom School Team B, taking a 2,000 baht
prize whilst their opponents received 1,000 baht.
In the men’s competition, E-Tech became champions as expected after
defeating Saraburi Wittayakom School Team A in two sets (21:12, 21:18)
to claim the trophy and the first prize of 5,000 baht.
Chonrat-Amrung Team B won the third place payoff game against Makkasan
Pittaya School, with both teams receiving 2,000 baht and 1,000 baht
respectively.
Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantawaranon presented the awards and presided
over the closing ceremony for the tournament.

100km jet-ski race
proposed for Pattaya

Narisa Nitikarn
Pattaya City Hall has been asked to supply a 5 million baht support budget
for the staging of a jet-ski event to be named Pattaya International
Offshore 2007.

Some
of the world’s top jet skiers could be tempted to Pattaya to take part in a
100km offshore challenge race if proposals to stage the event are accepted
by City Hall.

Justin Lee of Water Cross Asia proposed the idea at a meeting on June 6 at
Pattaya City Hall also attended by Pisai Panomwan na Ayutthaya, member of
the city council and chairman of the Pattaya Tourism and Sports Committee.
Lee said that Pattaya has a good reputation for organizing water sports and
that the sea here is particularly suitable for jet skiing because the ocean
is calm, the hotel accommodation for participants is good, safety standards
are high, and the city is easily accessed from the airport.
The World Jet Ski Championship including the annual King’s Cup Jet Ski
competition have also been held here in Pattaya for some years.
It is proposed that the Pattaya International Offshore event be held over a
distance of 100km, which would be the first time a distance of this kind has
been competed here, and would attract a large number of overseas
participants.
Lee estimates the number of international class jet ski racers from around
the world who would participate in such an event as being no less than 250.
He said the prizes should total 300,000 baht and include a trophy.
Pisai voiced concern that this size of purse would not attract foreign
sportsmen, but Lee said that most Jetski professionals did not only compete
for the money, but also for the challenge of taking part against a large
number of their peers, and in attractive surroundings.
Pattaya Tourism and Sports Committee will submit this proposal to the city
hall authorities for further review.

Lots of movement
in the standings in week 9

Pattaya Sports Club Friday Bowling League

This week’s 200 bowlers:
Pao, Somrak, Kran & La.

First place team Brother D won all four points from
Diamond Shop and Café Kronborg moved into second place after winning
four from Café Ole. Ooy bowled a 532 series and Konrad a 515 for Brother
D and Dang knocked down 524 pins for Diamond Shop. Kran led Café
Kronborg with games of 210, 213, 577 series.
VFW Post 9876 moved up to fourth place after beating Beaver Bar & Grill,
knocking them down from second to third place. Three Sisters won all
four points from Montana. All the Three Sisters Bowlers bowled good with
La leading the way with a 208 game, 573 series, Teuvo rolled a 538
series and Lek had a 503.
Jack & Tar, led by Somrak’s 604 series, games of 183, 233, 188 and Mai’s
538 series, won all four points from Mai’s Thai Restaurant.

The Kiarti Thanee experience

PSC golf from The Peacock Place

Nigel CannonMonday, June 18, Kiarti Thanee, StablefordA Flight1st Jeff Wylie (9) 38pts
2nd Bob Wighton (10) 36pts
3rd Bernie Segrave (11) 35pts
4th Steve Murray (9) 32ptsB Flight1st Tony Kitchen (18) 33pts
2nd Frank O’Neill (19) 32pts
3rd Alan Bishop (19) 32pts
4th Carl Lovatt (17) 31ptsC Flight1st Gordon Everingham (28) 40pts
2nd Geoff Moodie (26) 34pts
3rd Barry Rotherberg (23) 32pts
4th Nigel Cannon (26) 32ptsNear Pins: Jack Moseley, Yukio Kikuchi, Gordon Everinham, Captain
Bob.2’s: Alan Bishop, Cathy Doody, Bernie Segrave, Ray Dell, Yukio
Kikuchi, Capt Bob.
At 7am the gate of Peacock Place was open, and the first of the 44 golfers
started to arrive. Just 2 ½ hours later and we were booking in at the
elegant clubhouse at Kiarti Thanee. This was earlier than we had expected so
we had a little time for some R & R before our allotted tee time of 11am.
The rounds took just over 4 hours with no other players noticeable on the
course, which was itself in good condition and was found to be interesting
and challenging with very good greens.
After the golf we enjoyed some cool beer and food and recriminations of what
might have been then back on the coach for the return to Peacock Place where
Capt Bob announced the 26 prize-winners.
There will be another ‘away day’ from Peacock Place next month. If you would
like to join, watch out for the venue and date in the Pattaya Mail and sign
up early at the Peacock as numbers are limited.Wednesday, June 20, Phoenix, StablefordWednesday saw 27 intrepid golfers head for Phoenix for a
Stableford round. The sky looked very ominous at the start but thankfully
the rain stayed away and we had a great day.
The winners on the day were Bernie Segrave (11) with a fine 40 points on a
count back from Capt Bob (8) also 40 points (I thought he would have known
better than to give the Capt. a hiding but he will now have to get used to
his new handicap). Third place on the day went to Ray Dell (12) with 36
points and in fourth was Barry Chadbourn with 35 points - great to see Barry
in the circle, its usually his lovely wife!
The second division was won by Ian Dunkley (35) with 37 points, second was
Mark Brenton (31) with 34 points, third came Mam Morel (26) with 32 points
and fourth was Trudy Chadbourn (26) with 32 points also on a count back.
If you are looking for a game of golf with some friendly folk, call into the
Peacock Place, 8km along Siam Country Club Road, or give Bob a call on 087
941 2474.

Charles enters the 2’s…and wins!

IPGC golf from Lewiinski’s

Sunday, June 17, Green Valley –
White Tees, StablefordA Flight1st Paul Shaw (11) 38pts
2nd Ian Grout (12) 37pts
3rd Gareth Gill (10) 36pts c/b
Dell, Munns, Jacko, KrisB Flight1st Rodney Nabbe (13) 43pts
2nd Hester Vic (14) 40pts
3rd Colin Davis (15) 39ptsC Flight1st Herb Pastor (28) 41pts
2nd Peter Emslie (20) 39pts
3rd Joe Tynan (21) 37ptsNear Pins: #2: Jim Brackett; #9: John Hillier, #12: Claus Birk
Thomsen; #16: Jim Brackett2’s: Jack Grindvold, Claus Birk Thomsen (2), Jim Brackett, Jeremy
Masse, Nick Strasshine, John Hillier, Mike Craighead, Charles Sheppard.
The big story on the day was that Charles Sheppard, after squandering ten
2’s over the past couple of months by not putting in the additional 50 baht,
finally entered and won! As they say “You have to be in it to win it”.
On a more serious note, if anything in this game is to be taken seriously,
visiting Rodney Nabbe was MoM with a B Flight winning 43 points. Victor the
Inflictor followed him with a fine 40 points, with The Donkey wrapping up
the middle flight.
New member Herb Pastor got a little taste of the pay window, a location he
is familiar with since he hails for Las Vegas, as he took the junior flight
with an excellent 41-point effort. Venerable Peter Emslie continued his
recent good form by taking second with 39 points. Joe Tynan, with the calm
of a poet roaming the hills of his native Erin, rounded out the podium with
37 points.
Blackpool’s Paul Shaw topped out the premier flight with 38 points, one more
than The Tile. A handful of luminaries tied for third with level to handicap
36-point efforts, but GiGi was the only one who left with lucre in his
pocket as he had the count back better of “The Farmer in the”, Capt. Fogg,
Wacko Jacko and Kris Krits.Tuesday, June 19, Khao Kheow A & B – Yellow Tees,
StablefordA Flight1st Dan Willits (9) 36pts
2nd Peter Hynard (10) 35ptsB Flight1st Yui Duangkaew (35) 36pts
2nd Charles Sheppard (17) 35pts2’s: Peter Hynard, Charles Sheppard
It was another day, and another two for the Chas Man. No wonder he is our
Title Guy. That and he took second in B Flight, just one behind Mrs. Bietry,
who this Scribe predicts will become another golfing success story by a Thai
lady. They just make it look easy.
Newcomer from Down Under, Dan Willits, continues to perform well as his
level to handicap 36 points topped out Peter Hynard in A Flight by a single
digit.Wednesday, June 20, Bangpra – White Tees, StablefordA Flight1st Liam Kenny (13) 39pts
2nd Joe McArdle (12) 38ptsB Flight1st Charles Sheppard (18) 33pts
2nd Pierre Bietry (19) 31pts2’s: Joe McArdle, Dan Williits, Marty Montry, Gareth Gill, Mick Golan
In a week of newcomers, Liam Kenny had the better of another Irishman, The
Wee Leprechaun, to take A Flight. Our Title Guy was as it again this time
with a top step in B Flight, a couple in front of Monsieur Pierre, who may
soon only me known as Monsieur Duangkaew.Friday, June 22, Crystal Bay B & C– White Tees, StablefordA Flight1st Marty Montry (2) 38pts
2nd Dan Willits (9) 37ptsB Flight1st Nick Payne (16) 37pts
2nd Neil Cameron (16) 35pts2’s: Marty Montry
Marty Montry went “WOLF” as he topped out A Flight with the best point total
of the day and took all the 2’s loot. It should be noted that Marty’s 38
points required an underlying 72 off the stick, given his stingy two
handicap! Congrats to the Phoenix, AZ resident! Dan Willits, Tuesday’s
winner, had to settle for second.
On a further note, Neil’s handicap is now at 16.1, a comfortable cushion
from the brink of Armageddon of 17.4 that he once was perched upon, just 0.1
from the stroke-a-hole handicap that would have drove him to retirement.

The Brylcreem Boy comes back to win

IPGC golf from The Haven

Monday, June 18, Khao Kheow,
Stableford
1st Rodney Nabbe 37pts
2nd Trevor Schirmer 36pts c/b
3rd Kenny Priddy 36pts c/b
Khao Kheow off the yellows is always a bit of a challenge, and this day’s
competition was no exception with little run from the tee shots and greens
that were rather difficult to master. Scoring well was therefore at a
premium, with only the steady contestants lasting the pace and making it to
the podium.
Rodney Nabbe was the best of the group with a solid one-under his handicap.
Trevor Schirmer, as usual with a steady round, took second ahead of the
improved Kenny Priddy by a tight count back.
Many others failed to keep it good to the end with a notable in Tony
Barritt, who having played very tidily had an “Adolf” in the greenside
bunker on the last and then of course three-putted to drop out of
contention.
Mention should also be made of Ned Kelly who, after the last week’s surgery,
had recovered enough to be just outside the top three with 35 points.
Rodney Nabbe had the only ‘2’ in the first division and B.J. Smith and Alan
Griffiths had one each in the second.
Before the presentation The Doc welcomed new member Richard Dobson and
welcomed back Paul Quodomine.Wednesday, June 20, Mountain Shadow,
2 Person Scramble1st Mark Wood & Brian Wilkinson 50
2nd Trevor Schirmer & B.J. Smith 49
3rd Al & La Keith 44
4th Barry Traynor & Tony Barritt 43 c/b
5th Alan Griffiths & Kenny Priddy 43
6th Mark Woods & Richard Dobson 42
Once again there were many new combinations on view, as the field tried to
find an answer to the duo of Trevor Schirmer & B.J. Smith’s continual
dominance of the day’s format.
Mark Wood teamed up with Brian Wilkinson and did just enough to take away
the day’s top spot, albeit by just a single shot after the favourites took
unprecedented bogies at both of the last two holes.
Al Keith and his wife La, playing with the winners, kept ahead of the
chasing group of three other teams to secure their first placing as a couple
by a single stroke.
Barry Traynor took charge of the putting while Tony Barritt added the
strength of his tee to green game to take fourth ahead of Alan Griffiths and
Kenny Priddy by count back whilst Mark Woods, who had almost despaired of
any type of placing as a single, and Richard Dobson came in sixth.
There were no 2’s competitions due to the format.
Prior to the prize giving Terry Spicer, Mark Wood and Brian Wilkinson were
welcomed back and also a farewell given to big Rodney Nabbe.Friday, June 22, Eastern Star,
Stableford1st John Desmond 36pts
2nd Lenard Commons 35pts
3rd Al Keith 34pts
Following our last outing at the course and the poor condition of the
greens, it was no surprise to find a much smaller group than usual traveling
to the normally popular venue in Bang Chang.
In the event however things had improved somewhat, although understandably
with all the recent rain the greens were uncut and a little on the slow
side, and in the absence of any runners from the “Badlands”, scoring was
back to the normal levels at The Haven.
John Desmond slipped straight back into top gear, after several months away
in old and tattered Blighty, with a solid level par round to deny the
efforts of Lenard Commons and Al Keith, who were one and two shots adrift
respectively in second and third places.
Back at The Haven The Doc welcomed back John Desmond and announced that Alan
Griffiths was unfortunately being recalled under his retention clause to the
Emirates Stadium, to refit the two seats in section D, row H that he had
installed earlier in the year. It is hoped that he will be back in about 4
months time.
Just a final reminder for those not already signed up for the July 4th
Independence Day and Richards Birthday team scramble at Phoenix, entries
close on Monday 2nd at 5 pm. Entry forms are available at The Caddy Shack,
The Haven, Jomtien Golf, Lewiinskis and the O.K. Corral.

Mills in the mood
takes two in row

Jomtien Golf with the I.P.G.C.

Monday, June 18, The Emerald,
Stableford
Another hot and sultry day at this ever-improving course for our 24 starters
before their three-day trip up to Nakhon Nayok begins.
There was some unusual high scoring coming in from the premier flight today
with Andy Mills finishing with 39 points, beating Bruce Clark on a 22/21
back nine count back. Paddy Wilson was in third place with 38 points.
In the second tier, Tony Duthie’s 35 points just edged out Miss Nom with a
back six count back of 13/11, while Jack Hinchey finished third with 32
points.
There was a double rollover from the previous two rounds in the 2’s for the
second division and once again no winners. Andy Mills, playing his last game
for four months, chipped in on the 15th for the only one of the day in
division 1.
There are now 2 divisional prizes on each of the par threes to be won for
nearest the pin; Mikael Andersson, Bruce Clark (2) and Chris Holmes all won
in the higher division while Miss Nom (2) and Jack Hinchey won in the second
flight.
Today also saw us bid ‘bon voyage’ to Tony and Joe Kubon before their return
to the UKWednesday, June 20, The Emerald, StablefordWith the lads and lasses on tour, we cancelled Burapha and
reverted back to Emerald for the second time this week, so there were only
17 players today.
Andy Mills decided to stay for a few more days before his return to the UK
and this paid off with him winning division 1 with 37 points. He was closely
followed home by David Howe on 35 points in second. In the lower division
Glyn Evans’s 36 points pipped Dave Ross by two points to take first place.Friday, June 22, Eastern Star, StablefordOur regular outing every Friday and we had a depleted field today
so we ran a single division with three prizes. Les Hall won with his 34
points beating Paul Quodomine on a back nine count back of 18/16. Two points
behind and finishing in third place was Dave Ross.
Jomtien Golf meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Paweenas soi 5,
Jomtien beach Rd. at around 9am for a 10.30 tee off time. Please sign up in
the bar or ring Glyn on 086 837 5464.

Turner shoots 49 and
Jacks wins at last

Phoenix Members Golf Group

Mike GerrardWednesday, June 20, StablefordAfter the trials and tribulations of organising the pairs comp
last week, this week was a doddle. 16 players turned up on a day that
threatened heavy rain, but thankfully kept away. Individual stapleford was
the format over the Lakes and Ocean course; Ocean being perhaps most players
favourite nine.

Sunday’s
winners (L-R): Brian Jacks, Mayo Deane and Mr. Yang.

Scoring was not so easy today and only two players broke par, although with
the course rating at 69 even they did not really break par.
Play was organized into two flights with the split at handicap 19 and above.
The B flight winner with 39 points was Peter Herning with big Terry Turner
coming in second with 36 points. In the A flight, the winner was our
chairman Ron Bridge with 39 points and second was my new apprentice scribe
Graham Hiskett with 36 points.
Technical prizes went to Jack Spencer, Norm Robinson, Peter Herning and Ron
Bridge.Friday, June 22, Pattaya C.C., StablefordDue to a course closure at Phoenix, some of the boys went to
Pattaya Country Club and big Terry Turner at last found true form and shot
49 (yes 49) points. Our chairman Ron Bridge assures me that our Terry has
been cut 8 shots domestically (bout time!).Sunday, June 24, StablefordAnother good turn out of 16 players for domestic handicap day.
This time there were only 15 on the tee to start and our pal Doug Wilson
came running down make a nice 4 x 4-balls.
Lakes and Ocean again today and there was nice cooling breeze across the
course. We needed it as well as it was a very hot day.
Considering the way some of our players have been cut lately in this format,
it has to be said there was some pretty good scores. However, it also has to
said there were some players with some pretty horrible scores as well: I
know, I was one of them.
One of our regular golfers is ex-Olympic judo man Brian Jacks. Brian has
been giving us all a lot of ear bashing lately. He is playing some great
golf but complains that he keeps getting knocked into second and third place
by high scores from high handicappers. “I have never won”, is his regular
comment. Well at last the spell is broken.
Brian Jacks was our winner this Sunday with 41 points, but only on count
back from our other in-form member Mayo Deane, who also scored 41 points.
This lass is playing some super golf at the moment. She must be one of the
best swingers in Pattaya (I say that in the truest golfing sense). Third
place on the day went to our fairly recent newcomer from Korea, Yang (I have
not found out a last name yet) with 37 points.
We will be playing at a different course on July 4 due to a course closure
at Phoenix. Then it’s back to normal with a pairs comp on Wednesday July 11,
stroke play off blue tees on Friday July 13 and the monthly mug (stroke
play) on Wednesday July 25.

Glen & Emmet gel in multiplier

I.P.G.C. golf with the Caddy Shack

Tuesday, June 19, Plutaluang
Playing the tough North/West combination for a stableford competition again
proved to be a challenge for anybody to play to their handicap.

The course was in very good condition despite rain early on and Kieron Keogh
managed to post 27 points for third place; Dennis Byrne came second on 33
points and Bev Ewens took the honours with 34 points.
There were no 2’s claimed as once again the Navy Course came out on top Friday, June 22, Green Valley, StablefordGreen Valley was the popular choice for a multiplier stableford
event consisting of two players per team with the points being multiplied on
each hole. Most players had never played this format before but all agreed
that they thoroughly enjoyed it.
In second place came the pairing of Chris Platen & Ramsay Smith with 63
points whilst the winners were Emmet White & Glen Elsworth, only one point
ahead with 64 points.
There were three 2’s scored by Bev Ewens, Philip Jacks and Aussie Darren.
‘Near pins’ were won by Phil Mitchell, Bev Ewens & Brian Jacks with nobody
managing to hit the green on hole #2.
Back at the presentation, teammates were saying what could have been scored
if their partner had only scored on one hole instead of a wipeout, but
friendship was soon restored and all look forward to playing another
multiplier stableford in the near future.

Brian & “Skinny” share the spoils

PSC golf from The Bunker;

Monday, June 18, Treasure Hill,
Stableford
The first Stableford competition of the week was held at Treasure Hill
on Monday where we saw Eddie Martin come out on top with 34 points,
Roger Privett in second with 33 points and William Macey claiming third
place with 32 points.
One of the near pin prizes also went to William and Kenneth Anderssen
got in on the act winning one whilst Paul Smith won the other two.Friday, June 22, Eastern Star, StablefordThe Bunker Boys had yet another washout at Crystal Bay on
Wednesday, so it was off to Eastern Star for another Stableford comp on
Friday hoping for the gods to be on their side.
It turned out to be a pretty good day weather wise with only a short
delay for rain midway through the round temporarily halting play. After
the restart we ended up with a tie for third place between Mashi Kaneta
and William Macey, who both scored 32 points and we also had a tie for
first place between Bryan Rought and “Skinny” Newton who shared first
prize with 35 points.
Near pin prizes went to Stefan Hogey and Bryan Rought with Mashi Kaneta
picking up the other two.

Mashi shows masterful touch around the greens

PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s

Derek BrookTuesday, June 19, Laem Chabang, StablefordThis day promised to be a cracker; off we were going to what
is generally assumed to be the best course around, and all were looking
forward to it. Mind, there had been some whispers of the Laem Chabang
course being in its worst condition for some time, so we were a bit
concerned.

On arrival we quickly booked in and were told we were to play A & B
Nines, and whist out on the course we were informed that if we wanted we
could substitute C for one of the ‘Nines’. Good what?
So off we went on A1 and while we were looking for our balls, some to
the left and some to the right, we felt the first spots of rain. It
couldn’t rain on our parade, could it? Well yes it could and yes it did.
In fact it poured down, and of course the management stopped the use of
carts on the course, which meant one of our less mobile players had to
pack in.
Wet, bodily cold and miserably hot, we battled on. The golf deteriorated
to such an extent that after 6 holes as we stopped at the first drinks
stop, and the second group, now down to two, swapped notes with us, we
found between 5 players there were 12 ‘No Returns’. The leading score
was 8 points and the other 4 players had 6 points. Judging by the
scores, we were looking at 4 players finishing with 18 points and one
with 24.
Things did get better, it did continue to drizzle, but the players
pulled themselves together a little, and some good holes were played. We
could only hope that the players behind were having better luck, we were
later to find that they were about the same, except for one. Although
not getting the distance, he was chipping and putting like a demon.
Back at Bert’s we sat around for the presentation. The winner with 37
points was Mashi Kenata with Gareth Weeks in second with 31 points and
Mick O’Meara in third with 29 points on count back over Perry McNeely.
T.T.F.N.Near Pin: Bill Knight (2)

Boyd’s best ever at Bangpra

IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the OK Corral

The most recent Pattaya Golf Society Sunday Stableford
event was held at Bangpra on Sunday, June 17, on the well-presented
course and under hot and humid skies. There was plenty of run on the
fairways, the greens were slick and the conditions were perfect for some
fine golf. For one player especially it would also be a day to remember.
The traditional single flight on Sundays had guaranteed a big payday and
Scot Craig Boyd took advantage of it to produce his best ever round. He
scored 43 points, his gross figures being 39 - 39, and took the course
apart to win in style. It was a fitting way to bring down the curtain on
his stay in the province.
In second place came new member Peter Masters, enjoying a day off from
the trauma of the classroom, and his forty-point card contained some
excellent individual hole scores. In third place was Paul Quodomine and
his efforts were reflected by eight net birdies in a score of 37 points.
It was also a fine day for mine host Mr. Denis as his 36 points could
have been so much better but for the inconsistencies that dog a
thirty-handicapper.
The rolled over 2’s pot was shared by Craig Boyd, Yukio Kikuchi and Rick
Schramm whilst the Booby Bevy could have gone to Carl Lovatt whose card
showed 27 points on nine holes and only 7 on the remainder, or even Len
Jones who held a rules seminar on the sixth hole after his ball was
stolen by a playful monkey and dropped in the nearby jungle, instead of
at the back of the green where it had landed. Instead however it went to
Paul Quodomine for the embarrassment of a ricocheted tee shot on the
third that rebounded fully thirty yards into “the drink” and he
compounded the error by hitting the same tree with his “third off the
tee”.
It had certainly been a memorable day at Bangpra. Dobson dominates at Crystal Bay Tuesday, June 19 and it was the turn of Crystal Bay to host a
Pattaya Golf Society stableford event, over the “B” and “C” courses,
which were well prepared as usual. The “B” course greens were recovering
from coring but the rest of the course was well set up.
Even the surrounding thunderstorms held off as we witnessed an excellent
competition. Sharing third place were Carl Lovatt and Stuart Thompson
with hard earned scores of 35 points, just two behind winner Richard
Dobson whose 37-point card took the victory on his first visit to the OK
Corral.
The day’s only birdie ‘2’ was scored by Mikael Andersson on the “B”
fourth hole. The Booby Bevy went to a decidedly off-key David Thomas
whose eight-hole score of a mere six points embarrassed the consistent
New Zealander in his efforts to retain his “Player of the Month” award.
Emiel makes a meal of Khao KheowThursday, June 21 saw the Pattaya Golf Society revisit Khao
Kheow for a medal round, the first there since September. This time the
combination was the “A” and “B” nines and the course was very wet with
the heavy clinging Bermuda rough even more vengeful than normal. It was
a day when strong and accurate golf would be rewarded.
In third place was lady golfer Mod Churaiska whose net 73 was a good
reward for accurate short play, and just ahead was Gilles Akoum whose
level-par 72 was an excellent return from the high handicapper.
Shooting the best round of the day, and his best for months, was Emiel
van der Wiele. A loss of form, a sore back and a break in his native
Belgium have done nothing to improve his game but at Khao Kheow it all
came together again in a rain-soaked round to give him a fine win.
The day’s birdie ‘2’ pot was shared by Ton Chaysa and Paul Quodomine,
who had the honour of birdying the signature “island hole” at B8.
Regular visitor Glyn Jenkins had the dubious pleasure of receiving the
Booby Bevy for his high score and he accepted it with a smile, as
always. Good stuff this golf!

“Megabreak” 9-Ball Handicap Pool League 2007

Barry Hooper
This is a newly formed 9-Ball league consisting of fifteen players.
The entrants are: Charlie, Olly, John Mega, Baz, Bob US, Oun, Chris,
Jason, Ian, Nop, Billy, Chopper, Rich, Mark and Martin
Matches are played within a seven-day period and must be completed by
the following Sunday evening. Handicapping is applied as used within
other Megabreak events.
Play in round one is initially in five groups of three in a round robin
format with cuts made after play. The top two players from each group
together with the two highest scoring defeated players (12 players in
total) will proceed to the following round.
A further 4 rounds will then be played to whittle the group down to two
players to contest the final.
Full information on this league plus the regular “Sunday 9-Ball
Competition” as sponsored by DSL (Deborah Services Limited) can be
obtained at “Megabreak” Soy Diana Inn, Tel No 038 428 858,
www.megabreakpool.com or email [email protected]
The next 9-Ball league is scheduled to start at the beginning of August.
Anyone interested in taking part please submit your name as soon as
possible as the entry is restricted and taken on a first come basis.Results from June 23 (week 1)Group AMartin 2 v 3 Ian, Mark 1 v 3 Ian, Martin 2 v 3 MarkGroup BJohn Mega 3 v 2 Chris, Chris 3 v 1 Rich, John Mega 1 v 3 RichGroup CNop 3 v 1 Jason, Jason 3 v 1 Oun, Oun 3 v 2 NopGroup DOlly 3 v 1 Baz, Billy 1 v 3 Olly, Baz 3 v 1 BillyGroup ECharlie 1 v 3 Bob, Chopper 2 v 3 Charlie, Bob 3 v 0 Chopper
Players moving forward to round two are: Group A - Jason, John (Mega)
and Baz, Group B - Nop, Bob and Mark, Group C - Rich, Olly and Ian &
Group D - Martin Chris and Charlie

The Royal Varuna Yacht Club: 50 years young

by Peter Cummins, Special Correspondent, “Pattaya
Mail”
The Royal Varuna Yacht Club turns 50 years of age on the first of July
2007.
It joins the ranks of such illustrious 50 year-olds as the European
Union and - a little closer home - the Pattana School. Even the Sydney
Harbour Bridge is 75 this year. But, Royal Varuna is certainly not
having a “mid-life crisis”; only some of the more ancient members are.

His
Majesty the King in his OK TH 27 sailing off Varuna circa 1967.
Quite the contrary, Royal Varuna is thriving, with a new club-house,
some 26 years to go with the present lease on the best piece of land on
the entire Eastern Seaboard, a membership pushing 450 and a back-up of
racing events, national and world championships.
This is the first part of a two-part story, tracing the establishment,
history and development of this remarkable club.
But, let us start at the beginning. Prince Bhisadej Rajani was one of
some 10 persons who answered Walter Meyer’s advertisement in the
“Bangkok Post” in April, l957, seeking “Boating friends to form a
boating club.” The elements for one of those ‘nationality’ jokes were in
place as the group gathered, appropriately enough, at the then
“Cosmopolitan” Restaurant (later, Charly’s), on Sathorn Road: an
Australian, an Italian, two Swiss and a Thai, amongst others, did not
sit down to joke however, for they had serious business on their minds.
By the end of that lunch 50 years ago, Prince Bhisadej, Sid Watkins,
Robert (Rachiman) Gintzburger, Roberto Maestrini and Walter Meyer were
the principal protagonists who, to use the correct nautical term,
“launched” the Varuna Marine Club on the first of July, 1957, with the
aim of “promoting all water sports, including power-boating,
water-skiing, scuba diving and, of course, sailing, cruising and
yacht-racing”.
Walter Meyer was elected Chairman of the Board (really, the first Flag
Commodore) and called the inaugural meeting of the Marine Club committee
on 7 August 1957. The first circular issued by secretary Sid Watkins on
22 August, 1957 pointed out that the entrance fee to the new club was a
‘staggering’ 250 baht, with monthly subscriptions all of 30 baht
“payable in advance”. A Singha beer was then 12 baht per large bottle.
The major decision at the time was where to establish the club. Walter
and his friends drove up and down a then little fishing village called
Pattaya, which comprised some twenty fishing families and had a big tree
in the middle of the road. Finally, a two-story wooden seaside house
with a beach ideal for sail-boats was located on a site subsequently
known as Barbos V, now the Nang Nual Restaurant.
A deal was struck with the owner - A Nai Samrit. However, these captains
of industry did not have enough cash for the deposit of 2,000 baht. To
the rescue came Walter’s wife with the amount and - Voila - the Varuna
Marine Club had a home.Why Varuna?In Hindu theism, Varuna is one of the most important gods in
the pantheon. In pre-Vedic times he was the supreme lord of the cosmos,
the keeper of divine order, the bringer of rain, the enforcer of
contracts. The god Varuna was thus believed to possess multiple powers,
ruling the oceans and the winds, keeping under control the demons of the
sea, from his abode in the western vector.

The
first Varuna clubhouse was sited at the southern end of Pattaya Beach.
While still up there in the ether, a Varuna was discovered in December
2002, virtually, one of Pluto’s moons - a mere six billion kilometers
away. Luckily, our earthly-bound Varuna is somewhat more accessible.
There have been at least four large craft that we know about, bearing
the name “Varuna”, built from 1892 to 1907 in shipyards from Glasgow to
Stockholm, according to the “Lloyds Register of Yachts”.
The “flagship” Varuna was designed by G.L. Watson who also designed the
old “Britannica”. Built in Glasgow in 1892 for J.A. Mullhall, “Varuna”,
a composite cutter, weighed in at 33.87 tonnes, was 71.5ft X 14.9ft and
she drew 9.3 ft.
A list of entries in 2003 for the daunting annual North Atlantic
Challenge from New York to Kiel featured an entry “Varuna”, a Farr
IMX-40. The skipper, Jens Kellinghusen is a former Fireball National
Champion of Thailand and certainly one of Varuna’s best sailors - ever!
There is even a road named after the Club, “Thanon Rajchawaroon”, which
runs from the police box atop Khao Pratumnak right down to the Club
property.
“You cannot imagine how wonderful Pattaya was then,” recounted Walter
recently. “There was nothing there: no hotels, only two groups of
bungalows, around what is now Soi Eight. My main regret is that today’s
Varuna members do not know the old South Pattaya. You could leave your
door open; there were no thieves. The water was as clear as at Koh Pai
today. There were even shells on the beach from North to South Pattaya,”
Walter added whimsically. The Varuna Marine ClubThe Varuna Marine Club was officially opened on the weekend
of 15-16 February 1958, with a dinner-dance on Saturday night where
“jackets and ties were forbidden”.
It was in fact a water sports club, with four sections: sailing, motor
boating, water-skiing and fishing. Walter Meyer was the first Chairman
of the board (read Flag Commodore), but Prince Bhisadej was the first
Captain of Sailing, since Walter had no interest in this particular
sport, being himself a fisherman. There continues to this day to be a
friendly debate as to who was really the first Commodore of the club!
Indeed, the heart of Varuna was always sailing and Prince Bhisadej led
its development.
Angelo Gualtieri, currently the Club’s Honorary Treasurer and Commodore
from 1972-1974, recalls the first club facilities: one was a wooden
two-storied house on the beach, and the other a wooden house across the
road. The beach frontage was about 50 meters long, located next to the
only bar/restaurant in Pattaya at the time called Barbos V, which has
subsequently disappeared.
No doubt, the popularity of sailing and racing were greatly enhanced
when His Majesty and some of the Royal Family participated, along with
such luminaries as Prince Bhisadej and the late Prince Bhirabongse
Bhanubandh, better known as Prince Bira.
In fact, it was the Crown Prince who donated and presented the permanent
trophy for the Enterprise National Championship, the first national
event recorded in the Kingdom, held off the Varuna Marine Club in l964.
US sailors W. A. Gleason and K. R. Thomsen were the inaugural winners,
beating Rachot Kanjanavanit/Narong and PrinceBira/Princess Lom.
The press ran such headlines as “25 yachts entered in first national
regatta” (Bangkok World, 14 July, 1964); “Yachting in Thailand enters
the big time” (Bangkok Post, 12 July, 1964).
His Majesty became an enthusiastic and skilful helmsman, tutored by
Prince Bhisadej who assisted the King in building his own enterprise,
the “Rajpatan”. One of the memorable outings was in March of l965 and
consisted of a race from Varuna to Koh Larn, with the British Royal
Consort, Prince Phillip as guest sailor.
The Prince, a Dragon sailor of great skills, was not exactly covered
with glory, being the last to finish in this race to Koh Larn.
Nevertheless, he so enjoyed the hospitality and the informality
displayed by Their Majesties, the King and Queen, that upon his return
to the UK he sent a catamaran as a gift to the King (the first multihull
to enter Thailand). And what did His Majesty name the Cat? Pla Duek”
(Thai for a Catfish, playing on the words Cat and Duke, a typical
example of His Majesty’s sense of humour)
It was in March 1965 that the Varuna Marine Club membership was invited
by His Majesty to the King’s own newly-established Royal Chitralada
Yacht Squadron at the Klai Kangwol Palace at Hua Hin, to participate in
a regatta celebrating the formation of the Yacht Squadron. There were -
and still are - some 100 OK dinghies kept in mint condition, housed on
the spacious lawns of Klai Kangwol.
On the Saturday after the race, when all the sailors and supporters were
gathered at the large reception hall of the palace, Prince Bhisadej
Rajani announced that His Majesty had conferred Royal Patronage upon the
Varuna Marine Club. Thus, a month later on 26 April 1965, the Varuna
Marine Club officially became the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, with His
Majesty The King as the Patron.
An early member of the Club was Poul Weber, who has maintained a
wonderful archive of club activities from those days. He has carefully
recorded voluminous minutes of early meetings within the Club with the
national authority, the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal
Fleet Yacht Club, the Far East Yacht Racing Federation and numerous
national associations.
Poul also has a definitive and comprehensive dossier of the voluminous
press coverage of events from the early 1960s - an archive of great
value.
The second part of this story relates to the move of the Club over
Pratumnark Hill to its present site, trying to keep ahead of the steady
march of concrete afflicting Pattaya, preserving its pristine
environment and taking its place as a leading proponent of marine sports
locally, regionally and in a world context.(See Pattaya Mail next week for Part 2 of The Royal Varuna Yacht Club
story).

Barry HooperTuesday, June 19, Crystal Bay, Medal1st Tewin Lamthong (17) Net 70
2nd Ito Akitoshi (11) Net 72
3rd Parinya Rakthenksuk (28) Net 73
4th Per Rasmussen (20) Net 74Near Pins: Ito Akitoshi (2)2’s: Derek EasthamThursday, June 21, Emerald, Stableford1st Fergus Brennan (11) 30pts c/b
2nd Ian Evans (26) 30pts
3rd Bob Dearnley (14) 29pts
4th John Hefferman (11) 28ptsNear Pins: Per Rasmussen, Alan Evans, Berni Segrave, Lekee Tan2’s: Liam Ormsby and Alan EvansSaturday, June 23, Greenwood, Stableford1st Frank Kelly (15) 39pts
2nd Mick Folan (15) 38pts
3rd Per Rasmussen (20) 37pts c/b
4th Neil Duncan (15) 37pts c/b
5th Parunya Rakthenksuk (28) 37pts c/b
6th Mashi Kaneta (13) 37Near Pins: Mick Folan, Liam Ormsby and Frank Kelly.2’s: Liam Ormsby (2) Neil Duncan and Mick Folan
At the end of last week’s report I offered congratulations to Tewin
Lamthong (Poopay) for her week’s efforts and said keep it coming. That
is exactly what she did on our Tuesday outing to Crystal Bay, winning
with a net 70, just two in front of Ito Akitoshi who was one up on third
placed (Thomas) Parinya Rakthenksuk. Per Rasmussen was in fourth spot
holding up the European end of things.
I had opportunity to actually go and play at two events this week and
take a little time from my teaching. Thursday at Emerald was eventful
with heavy rain stalling things just after my group reached the tenth
hole. Deciding that enough was enough with lightning etc. several groups
called it a day. But some hardened golfers amongst us carried on
regardless.
Fergus Brennan won on count back with 30 points from Alan Evans, with
Bob Dearnley taking third spot just one point back. I was impressed with
the “Emerald” on what was my first visit to the club. It may be small by
some standards but the service and treatment was excellent.
It was a very enjoyable outing despite play being curtailed. I
understand that Emerald is going to be the new venue for our Saturday
outings for a few months. A good decision I think judging by the
comments that I have received from several players.
Saturday saw a change of venue this week to “Greenwood”. Once more I was
able to play and again it was my first visit to the club. I was most
impressed by what I found. In particular when we were on the back nine
rain was seriously threatening and within seconds the caddies had all
produced plastic covers for all the players bags and although this is a
small thing it is an example of the efficiency of the staff.
We were very lucky with the weather as no sooner had we all returned to
the clubhouse than the heavens opened up and carried on for a very long
time all the way back to Pattaya.
The winner on the day was “Steady Eddy” Frank Kelly on 39 and fellow
Irishman Mick Folan just one back on 38 second. Third place was decided
on count back with four players all found on 37 points. Per Rasmussen
was the lucky man over Neil Duncan, Thomas and Mashi Kaneta.
The ‘near pins’ was an Irish benevolence fund with three sharing the
spoils. One was not claimed so went back into the pot.
The 2’s were very similar with Liam Ormsby taking two and Mick Folan one
and only Neil Duncan prevented it being another all Irish affair.
The Aprés Golf theme of things was seen in play again with two of the
large Irish contingent, John Hefferman and Eamon Murtagh seen sporting
some very colourful attire: Nice to see, keep it up lads.
Reminder: If anyone is interested in golfing with the Bowling Green we
play every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We meet at Bowling Green at
7:45am and new players are always made to feel welcome. Call Tewin on
086 056 7019 or Bowling Green 038-720742 or send an email to
[email protected]

Bob books a date with the axe-man

PSC golf from The Three Sisters Bar

As the year rolls along so does our golf. June has
arrived with the weather turning slightly to the wetter side and the
balls not carrying so far. The greens and fairways are better but
running a bit slower.
The month started with Paul Kraft leading the way with 37 points to win
the first week. Looking back through past scores, it was a little less
than the normal winning average score of 40 points. It was a good score
none-the-less with Sus Ige coming in second with 35 points.
In the second week scores were back to normal as Bob Benda came in with
a scorching 41 points. In the last article I had Paul Kraft at 46 points
but that was a mistake. Paul had scored only 40 - sorry Paul, I know you
got cut a bit but the score was correct on the scorecard that was sent
in. This week there is no mistake so the axe will be out for Bob Benda.
Dale Murphy was running hot again as he came in with 37 points to take
second and Sus again near the top with 36 points.See you all next week.

Three-way battle for
Monthly Mug

PSC golf from The Café Kronborg

Derek BrookMonday, June 18, Treasure Hill, StablefordTreasure Hill Golf and Country Club was host to a Stableford
competition in one flight. The course was in good condition and even the
sand in the bunkers has firmed up.

Bjarne
(right) presents the Monthly Mug to P. Singh Basi.

The scores on the day were good with only three golfers under 30 points.
Dave Richardson took the win by a street with his best score of the
year, 43 points. In second place was Doug Good on count back from Mike
Winfield in third, both with 35 points.Thursday, June 21, Pattaya Country Club, Monthly Mug –
MedalThis not being the busiest time of the year, it was nice to
see that we had a reasonable turn out. This is the only monthly
competition of the year we return to ‘The Kronborg’ for the
presentation, so a course close to Pattaya is ideal.
On this day Pattaya C.C. was in good condition, it seems to be
recovering from problems earlier in the year, and now the fairways are
grassed, greens quick and tricky and the holes a bit rounder.
It was also nice and empty, so we got around quickly, but a rising wind
made conditions tricky, and it was with great relief that the last group
finished and made the dash to the clubhouse as the weather broke and the
rain hammered down.
Back at The Cafe Kronborg, as the results were worked out, it was
obvious that the scores were not outstanding and that only one man had
beaten his handicap. We had one flight only and all four winners were
within one shot with a three-way count back for the winner. And so to
the winner of the flight who was Mark Brenton with a net 73 on count
back over Michael Winfield in second, Doug Good in third and in fourth
was Bob Nelson with a net 74.
So to the ‘Mug’, and the winner on the day was P. Singh Basi, with a
fine net 68, well done!

The Square Ring: by Howie Reed

There once was a time, every four years in fact with the
arrival of the Olympics, when fight fans actually used to pay some
attention to the amateur boxers. Some might now make the connection
between the demise of both amateur and professional boxing.
Much of the displeasure with the amateur sport was caused by
questionable scoring and decisions: First there was the ‘never heard
from again’ South Korean fighter named Park Si-Hun who beat Roy Jones
jr. in the 1988 Seoul Games 3-2. Jones lost despite pummeling Park for
three rounds, landing 86 punches to Park’s 32. Someone that was there
contacted the Square Ring with the following tale of corruption.
“This bout had nothing to do with the competency of officials and their
knowledge of scoring or the method of scoring. This was down right fraud
and cheating. The organizing committee and President Anwar Chowdry were
paid to give Korea two gold medals. They found three scum-bags to do the
thievery in that and another bout.”
Allegedly, Park himself apologized to Jones afterwards. One judge
shortly thereafter admitted the decision was a mistake, and all three
judges who voted against Jones were eventually suspended.
Most observers still believe the judges were either bribed or otherwise
coerced to vote for the local fighter by Korean officials. The Square
Ring, through an unnamed source, can state categorically, “The fix was
in.”
Cosmetically, amateur boxing tried to fix the problem with push button
judges in which an old geezer (remember you don’t have to be “old” to be
an “old geezer”) would push a button when a punch landed. In fact to
help cover the skullduggery from the ’88 Olympics, it was mandated that
no one could judge a fight when they reached the age of 60.
Like all amateur sports, boxing was corrupt not necessarily for money,
although that was a factor, but mainly for power. Then a few months ago
things began to change. The Square Ring e-mailed its source in regard to
the changes. This was the response we received.
“This is an answer to your e-mail about the dictator Anwar Chowdry of
Pakistan who was a tyrant who ruled amateur boxing as if it was his toy
to play with ... No Longer!” At the world AIBA (the governing body for
amateur boxing) convention, Ching-Kuo Wu of Taiwan ran for President
against Chowdry. It is now a new ball game since he is ‘in’ and the
world of amateur boxing will no longer be dictated to by the likes of
Chowdry and his henchmen kiss-asses.”
The first really bold move of the new regime was the changing of the
World Championships to the United States and taking it away from Russia.
Now amateur boxing has also junked the push button scoring and will go
to judges counting punches with the high and low scores tossed out. Kind
of sounds like figure skating and we know how successful that was. Let’s
all sing “Oh Canada”. But at least it’s a step.
With the demise of the Olympics as a proving ground for boxers working
towards a professional career, many have taken the path of least
resistance. For some that means playing in the wading pool and never
learning how to swim. Then when thrown in the deep end they don’t have
the skills to swim - so they drown.
A great example of this is Yoddamrong Sithyodthong (45-6-1) who reigned
as the WBA super-bantam champ for three months. At 28-0 he won a
unanimous decision over Yoder Ortega to capture the title. Three months
later Yoddamrong traveled to Japan to defend against Osamu Sato, got
knocked down three times and KO’d in 8.
After 12 meaningless wins Yoddamrong got another shot at the WBA
super-bantam title against Mahyar Monshipour in Paris. This time he got
clocked in 6. Since then Yoddamrong has never been the same or maybe his
flaws just became more apparent.
Many, not familiar with Thai boxing, were surprised last September when
Chonlatarn Or Piriyapinyo (15-0) handed Yoddamrong a fairly easy
unanimous decision (118-110, 118-110, 117-117). The rematch came a week
ago. In the intervening 9 months Chonlatarn had won 4 more matches while
Yoddamrong did nothing. This time out Yoddamrong was down twice before
referee Somsak Sirianan stopped it at 0:41 seconds of round 7.
Real big fights are few and far between. Last Sunday’s fight in Las
Vegas between Ricky Hatton (40-0) vs. Jose Luis Castillo (55-7-1) was an
authentic “major fight.”
A real major fight delivers it’s own PR without a lot of the “phony
bologny” that permeates most fugazi fights. The fact that this was a
“real’ fight is strange cause they were fighting for a fugazi” IBO
title. The only IBO champions that a sports fan may recognize are Wlad
Klitschko and Ricky Hatton.
World known referee Joe Cortez was the only person in the ring in shirt,
slacks and tie when the opening bell rang. Hatton was a big favorite
with the 11,000 Brits that traveled across the ‘big pond’ for the fight,
betting US$1.80 to win a dollar.
Just days before the fight a Federal Judge granted an attachment to
Castillo’s purse in the name of Gary Shaw Productions and the Diego
Corrales’s Estate of up to $1.2 million. As with most things legal,
there was a “but” attached. Shaw and the Corrales Estate had to post a
bond and when they couldn’t the Judge removed the attachment. Then, just
before the fight began in the pre fight blather it was revealed that
promoter Bob Arum had paid Castillo’s US$250,000 fine to the Nevada
Commission and supported the fight throughout his year of inactivity
while on suspension. The purses for Castillo’s last two fights with the
late Diego Corrales had been held up.
Last Sunday was a “major event” and not a major fight. If you watched
the fight on TV the preceding paragraph would explain why the gentleman
sitting in the second row in the brown suit had a face longer than the
late Sea Biscuit. Bob Arum already knew what it took Hall of Fame
trainer and boxing commentator Emanul Stewart almost half of round one
to discover, “Castillo is a tired fighter.”
Being unkind, that means that Castillo’s was a “shot fighter”, in the
ring for a pay day, which he may or may not get. As for Arum, it’s a
case of kissing his investment good bye.
For those into records, the event ended at 2:17 of round 4 when Castillo
went down from a left hook to the side. The punch, so we were told,
“surprised” him and was “devastating”. Hogwash. The only surprised
people were referee Joe Cortez who couldn’t believe that Castillo was
down and Ricky Hatton thinking that maybe Castillo was complaining of a
low blow. Of course the Hatton fans were over the moon.
The fight proved nothing in regard to those that have questions about
Hatton’s ability. It was a win against a fighter that was not only ‘over
the hill’, but well out in the desert. In true Mexican fashion Castillo
tried to save himself with a couple of low blows but referee Joe Cortez
said, “stop” which Castillo didn’t so he lost a point. That’s probably
the time when Castillo decided to end the nonsense.
Actually, the fans that came to root for Hatton were the real show. They
were in great form asking the question, “What American fighter could
sell 11,000 tickets to a fight in England?” The answer of course is
none. In fact there’s no American fighter that can sell 11,000 tickets
for a fight anywhere.
When plied with lager the Brits do love to sing and they were in fine
form. They opened with “Blue Moon” and ended with a Christmas song in
June as they sang “Walking in a Hatton Wonderland.”
For those not familiar with English football (called soccer in civilized
countries), “Blue Moon” is the signature song for Manchester City
football (soccer) team. As all residents of Thailand know, that team is
being purchased by Thailand’s deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra
(still with a warrant out for his arrest). Word is the new owner is
trying to hire the equally flawed Sven Erickson, former England manager,
as the headman. Could one expect any less?
“Your Lordship?”
Yes Jeeves what is it?
“Your Lordship, I have to toddle along, but first I’d like to give some
results that you’ve missed. Fahsan 3K Battery (58-8-1) had no trouble
last Friday at the Taweethapisek School in Bangkok when it took only 25
seconds into the second round to KO Yuvensius Laeande, who is either
2-4-2 or 13-2-2. 3K has won 13 in a row since he was sent to the ‘land
of nod’ by Manny Pacquiao in 2004.
“Promoter Jimmy Chaichotchuang said before the fight, ‘Fahsung 3K
Battery is chasing a shot at IBF jr featherweight champion Steve Molitor
of Canada. I’m confident 3k Battery would defeat Molitor.’ Of course
Your Lordship most everyone knows the result because the fight was
carried nationally on Channel 7, but it’s never bad to be sure.
“Anyway, that aside Your Lordship I’ve laid in a copious supply of
lager, your cigars have been brisked and there’s a rack of oldies in the
record machine. I’m off for a night on the town with the lads and
lasses.”